1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a utility vehicle and, in particular, to an exhaust system of a utility vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an example of a utility vehicle, a seat for crew members is arranged in a front part of a body frame and an engine is arranged on a rear side of the seat for crew members (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-83273). In the utility vehicle disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-83273, an exhaust manifold connected to an exhaust port formed in a front face of an engine protrudes frontward in the vehicle traveling direction. Then, an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust manifold makes a U-turn in a direction that is downward with respect to a horizontal plane and that is outward with respect to the vehicle width direction. After that, the exhaust pipe extends rearward with respect to the vehicle traveling direction and then is bent in a direction that is outward with respect to the vehicle width direction and that is downward with respect to a horizontal plane. After that, the exhaust pipe extends in an inclined direction downward with respect to a horizontal plane and then is bent inward with respect to the vehicle width direction. Further, the exhaust pipe is inclined upward with respect to a horizontal plane and extends in a direction that is inward with respect to the vehicle width direction and that is downward with respect to a horizontal plane. After that, the exhaust pipe is bent such as to become approximately in parallel to the vehicle traveling direction, then extends approximately in parallel to the vehicle traveling direction, and then is connected to the exhaust muffler.
Further, in a utility vehicle disclosed in United States Published Patent Application No. 2012/0160588A1, an engine exhaust pipe extends rearward with respect to the vehicle traveling direction, in an overview. Here, the exhaust pipe has a complicated curved shape that extends downward and upward with respect to a horizontal plane and that extends inward and outward with respect to the vehicle width direction. This causes the necessity of a longer exhaust pipe and the necessity of complicated bending processing on the exhaust pipe. Thus, a problem occurs in the cost. Further, since the exhaust manifold protrudes frontward in the vehicle traveling direction, a space need be ensured for installing the exhaust manifold in the vehicle traveling direction. That is, in a utility vehicle in which a rear seat for passenger is installed in a rear part of a body frame and then an engine is arranged under the rear seat, the situation that the exhaust manifold protrudes frontward in the vehicle traveling direction causes difficulty in ensuring a sufficient foot space for the passenger who sits down on the rear seat.